Peppers

Peppers are a native plant of tropical America. They were grown by American Indian tribes in Central and South America over 2,000 years ago and were originally bought to Europe by explorers. The small hot peppers were discovered by Columbus in the West Indies and introduced into Europe where they became popular.

Peppers are a very important part of Hungarian cuisine. When they are in season they are usually eaten fresh for breakfast, perhaps for supper and also for snacks in-between. They are one of the essential ingredients in many traditional dishes and the dried flesh of the red pepper is ground to make paprika (see article -‘paprika’) which is also one of the main ingredients in Hungarian cooking.

There are many varieties of peppers grown in Hungary, some are sweet and not hot at all, some a little on the warm, spicy side and some so fiery hot that a tiny piece will set your mouth on fire. The chemical capsaicin is the compound that gives some peppers their heat. It is distributed throughout the pepper but the heaviest concentration is found in the white ribs that hold the seeds. The seeds are the next hottest part and the flesh of the pepper has the least amount of the chemical. Because of the way capsaicin is distributed in the pepper, removing or leaving the hottest parts gives a certain amount of control to how hot it is when eaten raw or when cooked.

The long hot summers in Hungary are well suited to growing peppers. The reason is that they are a warm-season crop and they need a long season for maximum production of the crisp, tender fruit.

For a really early crop they are grown under glass and come into the shops in late May early June and are quite expensive. The ones grown outdoors are usually available from the beginning of July until well into the autumn. During September and October time they are really cheap in the supermarkets and greengrocers and are sold for around 70 forint (20 pence) per kilo for pickling or for freezing. They can be sliced, put into freezer bags or airtight plastic containers and frozen, without blanching, ready for use in cooked dishes. Once picked and stored correctly they keep fairly well for some time and in November you can still find vendors, at the road side, offering them for sale by the sack full at reasonable prices.

Peppers have a very high nutritional value and Red peppers especially are high in bioflavonoids and vitamin C. Red peppers are considered, by some experts, to be beneficial against cancer and heart disease. The red pepper is also higher in beta-carotene, vitamin B6 and the capsaicin in hot peppers is a natural painkiller which is considered useful against arthritic pains. All peppers contain Lutein and Zeaxanthin which help protect against certain age-related eye problems.

Chillies (peppers) for Medicinal Purposes
Excerpt from an article by Susheela Uhl
Chillies are an excellent source of vitamins A and C, with some of the fresh hot chillies containing four times as much vitamin C as an average orange. They have no cholesterol and are a good source of folic acid, potassium, protein, fibre and trace metals. Chillies have been traditionally used as medicine for treating pain and wounds, respiratory diseases and digestive problems. Now there are more scientific studies on their roll in decreasing heart attacks, averting obesity, decreasing blood clots, acting against arthritic pain and protecting against stomach ulcers.

You can find some recipes for Hungarian dishes, using peppers, in the recipe section of this site but if you would like to know more about peppers in general they have been widely written about – either how to grow them or how to cook with them – and you can find books on the subject at the following web address:

www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0898158400/002-4217952-6273613?v=glance

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